William a



(No Model.) W. A. COOKE, Jr.' PILE PoR LETTERS, am.

Patented Mar. 18, 1888.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

VVlLLlAM A. COOKE, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FILE FOR LETTERS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming pari'. of Letters Patent No. 379,367, dated March13, 1883.

Application tiled October 17, 1885. ScrialNo.1S0,206. (No model.)Patented in England November' 10, 1885, No. 13,663, and in CanadaDecember 11. 1995, No. 22,948.

To aZZ whom. it may concern,.-

Beit known that l, WILLIAM A. COOKE. Jr.. of New York, in the county andState of New York, have invented a new and useful Filefor Letters,Invoices, and the Like, (for which I have obtained a patent in theYDominion of Canada, No. 22.948, dated December Il. 1885, and a patentin Great Britain, No. 13,663, dated November l0, 1885,) of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to receptacles for the filing and classificationof letters, invoices, bills, and other papers, memoranda, Src., andparticularly to that class of receptacles wherein the leaves orpartitions which separate and in dicate the classv are .placed in a boxor case. Heretofore the leaves or partitions have been connected by oneedge with the box or case by rods passed through holes in the leaves orpar-l titions, and having their ends fastened in the sides of the box,or hy a dovetailed piece of metal or a hook attached to the middle ofthe leaf and engaging a groove or bar in the back of the case, or byrods or wires attached to the edge of the leaf and held in grooves inthe ends ofthe box. These several constructions being defective in someparticulars, my invention has reference to improvements thereof.

The objects of my invention are, first, to facilitate raising the indexleaves or partitions when opened for the filing, removing, orinspectionof papers; second, to prevent the leaves or partitions from becomingdisconnected when bent or twisted or raised unevenly.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents the le and its caseinperspective. Fig. 2 isa horizontal section ofthe tile and case, taken online ac rv of Fig. l. Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of the saine.Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view ofthe devices which conncct thepartitions or leaves with the back of the case. Fig. 3n is amodification of the con necting device or hooks connected with thepartitions. Fig. 4 represents the fastening (in section) by which thehinged front and side of the ile are held together.

Referring to the drawings, A is the file case or box, having hinged sidea and front b, by means of which the Atile box or case is opened.

B represents the leaves or partitions having on their free edgesindex-letters or class-titles,

as may be desired. On the rear edges, at top and bottom, are lixed-backwardly turned or projected hooked d, which are turned so that the endsare parallel to the rear edges of the leaves or partitions. These hooksare made preferably from sheet metal by stamping them ont, as therebythey can be made thin and avoid increasing the thickness of thepartitions materially on the rear edges; but they may be made of wire,if desired. The hooks may be formed on the ends of narrow flat strips ofmetal of the saine length as the leaves or partitions, and attached tothe saine by fastening them under the turned-over rear edge of thepartitions, as snown in Fig. 3a. Another and preferred inode is thatshown in Figs. 2 and 3, consisting in forming the hooks in the end of atriangular plate, Z, one of which is fastened to each of the rearcorners of the leaves or partitions by posting it under the turned-overrear edge of the same. This is the cheapest mode of fastening the platesand through them the hooks; but the plates may be riveted to the leavesor partitions, if preferred. `When pasted in, the triangular form of theplate prevents it from pulling out, the two thicknesses of paper beingpasted together against the diagonal edge of the plate. The hook d is inone piece with the plate', being stamped out of sheet metal. The hooksmay, however, be formed and connected with the partitions in variousother ways, the only essential being that they shall project backwardand parallel to the rear edges of the partitions or leaves, so that thehooks at opposite ends open toward each other. Suitable devices areconnected with the back of the case to engage the hooks.

As represented, the engaging device consists of plates D D, of tin orother sheet metal, parallel to the back, and a sufficient distance fromthe back to allow play or motion to the hooks between the plate and theback. The plates are ,also fixed a short distance from the ends or topand bottom of the box or case, to allow play for the hooks at thesepoints. lThe plates D are fastened by bending the ends at right anglesand inserting and fastening them between the edges of the back plate fand the sides of the case, as shown in Fig. 2a. The

plates can be fastened by nails or other means. A single plate, D, maybe used, if preferred,

IOC)

extending along the back with its ends a short distance from the top andbottom of the case; or rods or staples shaped like plates D may besubstituted for said plates. The hooks d engage the outside edges ofplates D D and slide freely up and down when the leaves or partitionsare raised and dropped.

The abovedescrihed connections afford a secure fastening between theleaves or partitions and the case, allowing the former perfect free doniof motion so far as opening` them for the insertion of papers isconcerned, but holding them squarely in place, preventing them fromtwisting; and when raised or opened the Weight ofthe contents of thetile draws the hooks more firmly against the connecting devices, and itis impossible for the leaves or partitions to break connection with thecase. Furthermore, the papers can he inserted far enongh.for their inneredges to lie evenly with the connected edges of the partitions orleaves, and there is consequently lessliability of their slipping outWhen the tile is turned up edgewise.

The hinged side and front of the case are fastened together, when thecase is closed, by

a lock, E, composed of a plate attached to the side having a projectinglip, g, which engages a lip, g', on a plate attached to the front, asshown in Fig. 4. Y

The box or case A may be made in the form of a draw for cabinet use, ifpreferred, or otherwise varied in construction and appearance.

I claim- In a file for letters, invoices, and the like, the combinationof the case or box, plates D, leaves or partitions B,.and hooks d, saidhooks being attached to the leaves or partitions at the rear edge and corners thereof and projecting from the same backward and parallel to thesaid rear edge, so that the hooks at oppo-- site ends open toward eachother, substantially as specied.

WILLIAM A. COOKE, JR. XVitnesses:

A. B. DODGE, JAMES RIDGWAY.

